A Philosophical Reflection on Health and Physical Education

Abstract

Living life to its fullest calls for paying close attention to our health and well-being. It was on the basis of this that Plato placed emphasis on gymnasium in an attempt to produce the philosopher king. Also, throughout our lives, we tend to depend so much on the skills and knowledge of physical educators and health professionals to assist us make better decisions about nutrition, exercise, preventive health practices and lifetime activity. All these are vital elements and components of a healthy living or lifestyle. Physical, safety and health education are keys to the overall educational experience of professionals who strive for excellence in life. A well designed physical safety and health education programme is supposed to surpass the boundaries of the gymnasium, classroom and playing fields through the provision of essential life skills and environment where all learners (students) are encouraged to feel safe and strive to achieve their various life ambitions. It serves as a catalyst for the actualization of sustainable lifestyle. Physical and health education should aim at developing individuals that can contribute positively to self, family and community. This philosophy should apply comprehensively to health and physical education that include mental health, substance abuse prevention (such as tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, Human Growth and Development, physical Diseases and Disorders(prevention and treatment), Nutrition and physical fitness, first aid and safety, human body systems, consumer education and personal health. So, health and physical education person are critical thinkers and problem solvers responsible and productive citizens, self directed learners and effective communicators that let others see the value of what it is to be sound both in body and in mind. This paper therefore seeks to discover the contents of the value of physical and health education.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p592